‘No more cutbacks’: activists rally for women’s reproductive rights

Women share their stories about what they run into at the doctor's office when it comes to their reproductive health saying they are not being heard. They are urging government officials to stop making cuts to healthcare and sexual education allowing everyone to make the right choice for themselves. Kendra Fowler has more.

CALGARY (660 NEWS) — Heavy rain failed to dampen protesters’ spirits at a rally for women’s reproductive rights outside City Hall in downtown Calgary.

The rally sends a message to Canadian lawmakers that policies limiting access to reproductive health services will not be tolerated.

Adora Nwofor, a community activist, says in order for women’s health care to improve there needs to be more health care and mental health professionals.

“No more cutbacks, no more cutbacks in sexual education,” she said. “The communities that are the healthiest — that are thriving — are the communities that know about sexual health, that have birth control, and that are open to people choosing for themselves.”

Despite doctors telling her that she can’t get pregnant and her plan to have zero babies, she has gotten pregnant a few times while on birth control.

She wants to be heard by medical staff and be able to make her own choices.

“The whole world is harmed by legislating people’s choices. The whole world is harmed whenever we start marginalizing and oppressing people.”

She adds we don’t need birth alerts when the hospital notifies children’s services when a child is born, or legislation preventing women from having abortions.

Abortions are legal in Canada but some states in the U.S. recently passed laws restricting the procedure.

Amanda Kwiatkowski, a Calgary educator, added that sexual education starting in elementary school is important: “By the time they are in high school they can have complete discussions like you would have with an adult, so you can consider talking about pleasure and gay relationships.”

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